Once marketed as Punjab’s modern urban success story, Mohali today faces a sanitation crisis that has become its most visible civic failure. Overflowing collection points, roadside waste heaps, choked drains, and foul stenches have transformed cleanliness into a major municipal election issue ahead of the May 26 polls.
The crisis peaked after the closure of the city’s traditional dumping setups without operational alternatives. Generating 100 to 170 metric tonnes of waste daily from local and peripheral belts, Mohali’s disposal system failed to keep pace with rapid urban expansion. Matters worsened significantly after the Phase 8-B Industrial Area dumping ground was shut down last year following court and environmental pollution directives. Since then, the municipal corporation (MC) has scrambled for alternatives while waste piles up near residential areas.
Residents across Phase 3A, Sector 71, Sector 57, and various market zones have repeatedly flagged unattended waste, unbearable stenches, and mosquito breeding, which intensifies during monsoons. This mess has exposed a glaring lack of long-term planning. Although 39 acres in Samgauli village were identified years ago for a permanent facility, progress remains stalled by land disputes, infrastructure gaps, and the lack of an access road. Civic officials admit that without this alternative site, daily waste management remains severely constrained.
Compounding the crisis, existing sites at Shahimajra and Jagatpura face fierce local resistance. The Jagatpura waste processing plant, located near the Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport, was forced to halt open disposal due to severe bird-strike threats flagged by aviation authorities. While operations were modified to sort waste inside enclosed conveyor sheds before shipping it out of the district, the enforcement—combined with independent National Green Tribunal (NGT) closure orders—triggered a solid waste gridlock across the city.
{{/usCountry}}Compounding the crisis, existing sites at Shahimajra and Jagatpura face fierce local resistance. The Jagatpura waste processing plant, located near the Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport, was forced to halt open disposal due to severe bird-strike threats flagged by aviation authorities. While operations were modified to sort waste inside enclosed conveyor sheds before shipping it out of the district, the enforcement—combined with independent National Green Tribunal (NGT) closure orders—triggered a solid waste gridlock across the city.
{{/usCountry}}Fragile system under strain
The city’s woes extend below the surface to overflowing sewers, blocked drainage lines, and poorly maintained commercial zones, prompting civic action against commercial establishments dumping waste improperly. The fragility of the system was further exposed by a 16-day sanitation workers’ strike that began on May 6, causing heavy waste accumulation before being called off.
Political friction within the civic body has heightened uncertainty, with councillors routinely trading blame over administrative inaction. However, following the MC’s dissolution on April 11, citizens noted a slight improvement in door-to-door collection and segregation.
Over the past five years, the MC’s reliance on outsourcing has yielded inconsistent results on the ground. In an effort to streamline operations following relentless public complaints, the civic body recently floated two major tenders: one in November 2024 for waste lifting and processing, and another in 2025 targeting door-to-door collection, segregation, and scientific disposal.
Written poll assurances
Ahead of the voting, the Confederation of Greater Mohali Residents Welfare Association, representing 65 RWAs, has urged citizens to corner candidates on waste management. In a formal letter to sanitation and health authorities, the apex body expressed deep concern over deteriorating cleanliness despite substantial civic spending in recent years.
Confederation president KK Saini said Mohali possesses the potential to rank among the country’s top 10 cleanest cities, but achieving this requires genuine political will and strict accountability rather than hollow promises. The association highlighted that despite crores being allocated for solid waste management and public toilet blocks, the ground reality remains unsatisfactory. Pointing to Mohali’s steep drop to 128th in the national cleanliness rankings, the RWAs have questioned the accountability of elected representatives and officials alike.
Consequently, the association has appealed to voters to demand written commitments from councillor candidates ensuring scientific waste disposal, efficient door-to-door collection, and upgraded sanitation infrastructure. With the NGT seeking fresh updates on the city’s waste management, the issue remains under intense scrutiny. As the election countdown begins, residents are demanding permanent, scientifically managed infrastructure over temporary clean-up drives.